Gas producer



Feb. 14, 1939. P. VAN ACK EREN 2,147,324

GAS PRODUCER Filed Jan. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 14, 1939. P VAN ACKEREN "2,147,324

GAS PRODUCER Filed Jan 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [1 1- E I F 44 7 [I] [7; 0 n1 49/34 c/ (141 u Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,147,324 GAS PRODUCER Paul van Ackeren, Essen, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Koppel-s Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application January 15, 193%, Serial No. 120,741 In Germany January 16, 1936 The present invention relates to gas producers (for instance for theproduction of water gas or other gases or the like) having a substantially horizontal grate, above which is arranged an as an advantage of this design that the central driving shaft of the ash agitating member projecting downwards through a central opening of the grate, could be dispensed with and consequently the dead space within the grate is considerably diminished. Subsequent investigations have, however, shown serious faults in such at.- rangements, mainly resulting from the rigid connection between the ash agitating member and the driving ring, which latter simultaneously acts as a crusher used for breaking-down the big lumps of clinker which do notfall through the grate. If the melting point of ash is low, bigger clinker pieces are formed in a comparatively large quantity. As such clinkers can only be broken up and discharged from the shaft by means of the crusher-ring, the latter has to be rotated at a correspondingly higher speed of motion. Consequently, the ash agitating member connected with the crusher ring is rotated at a higher speed, but this results-in a whirling-up of the fuel bed in the gas producer shaft in a very unsuitable and unnecessary way.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide such improvements in the said gas producers which permit a rotating of the ash agitating member independently of the crusher or driving ring arranged at the periphery of the grate.

45 Therefore, I provide for the ash agitating memher a separate driving means operated independently of the driving means for the annular crushash extraction through the horizontal grate and through the space between the shaft wall and the' crusher ring may be adjusted in any suitable manner in accordance with the properties of the ash formed. Contrary to the former as-, sumptions there does not result any appreciable decrease of the effective grate surface by providing the ash agitating member with a central driving shaft, especially not in'those instances where the gas producer has a comparatively large diameter.

Furthermore, as the shaft of the-ash agitating member is carried in a special compartment of the grate supporting frame, the shaft bearings and the shaft body will not be heated at objectionable temperatures.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof; such embodiment however is to be consideredmerely as illustrative of its principles. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a gas producer constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in an enlarged scale the driving means for the annular clinker crusher. v

Fig. 4 shows in detail packing between the shaft 'of the clinker moving member and the grate.

Fig. 5 finally is a section of the clinker agitating member, taken on'line 5-5 of Figure 2.

The gas producer illustrated on the drawings is a common essentially cylindrical gas producer shaft I, being formed by a double shell 2. The' space 3 between the walls 2 of the gas producer serves for receiving a cooling medium, for instance water, which is delivered through the pipe line 2a and discharged through the pipe line 2b. The shaft l above the water-cooled double shell 2 is continued by a refractory brick lining 58, covered by a top 59. Upon the top 59 is arranged a fuel charger 60 which is supported on rollers 62 by means of an edge-projection 6| and turned by a tooth-wheel 63 from a driving source, not shown. The fuel charger 60 is sealed by a cover 84. The fuel charger extends into the 'shaft l and is fitted at its lower end with exit openings 65. The gas produced is withdrawn through the pipe line 65.

The shell 2 of thegas producer shaft rests upon an annular girder 4. A multitude of openings 5 is distributed over the circumference of the girder, these openings being closed by removable lids 6.

The annular girder 4 is supported by a cylindrical casing I, which by means of jaws I rests upon the supports 9 of the gas producer.

A flange I0 is provided inside the casing I of the gas producer, upon which is fixed the grate supporting frame by means of projections H. The grate supporting frame consists of an annular supporting body l 2 of U-shaped section, from whichextends a multitude of stiffening ribs l3, being suitably cut-out at the inside, up to the central cylindrical casing l4. The casing l4 and the supporting body l2 are thus firmly interconnected. Upon the ribs l3 rests the annular horizontal grate l5 divided into several sectors, the grate bars according to Fig. 1 being placed at such a distance from one another, that the flne particles of the ash can fall through the grate into the ash receptacle, arranged underneath. An ash agitating member i6 is arranged above the grate rotating relatively to the grate. The ash agitating member [6 is fastened to the upper end of a vertical shaft H, which is supported in an upper bearing I! of the grate casing l4 and extending downwards through the casing 14. The lower side of the casing 14 is equipped with an extension l9, to which is fastened a bearing 20 for the shaft, ll of the clinker agitating member. The interior of the casing I4 is sealed against the atmospheric air by' means of a stufiing box 2|.

The shaft ll of the ash agitating member carries at the lower end which projects downwards, a worm-wheel 22 into which engages the worm 23 of the driving shaft connected with a suitable switch device.

As may be seen from Figure 1, the shaft ll of the ash agitating member is a hollow shaft. Its inner hollow space serves for the delivery and discharge of a cooling medium, for instance water. For this purpose, the shaft H has at its lower end a bore 24, lying within the range of the ring groove 25 of a bearing-like casing 26 which is flexibly held by a carrying arm 21 so that it can follow the movements of the lower end of the shaft ll of the ash agitating member while maintaining the groove in communication with the bore 24. The cooling water supply main 28 opens into the ring groove 25. The cooling water can flow at every position of theshaft ll of the ash agitating member through the opening 24 into its cavity. The cooling water rises upwards in the shaft and distributes through openings 29 and the distribution pipes 30 inside the hollow ash agitating member 15. The cooling water then flows from the ends of the pipes 30 through the cavity of the ash agitating memher back again to the upper opening of the dischargepipe 3|, which is arranged in the cavity of the shaft of the ash agitating member.

Through the lower end of the discharge pipe 3| extends an opening of the hollow shaft and opens into aring groove 32, which is arranged in a bearing-like body analogously designed to the casing 26. The cooling water discharge 33 is coupled with the ring groove 32.

The larger lumps of clinker collecting upon the grate l5 are moved by, the ash agitating member l6 towards the periphery of the grate.

Outside the range of the clinkr agitating member 16, preferably at the circumference of the grate J5, there is arranged a rotary polygonal crusher ring 34. The crusher ring 34 is revolvable on bearings 35, which are provided for at the ring girder 12 of the grate supporting frame. The crusher ring acts together with a multitude of crushing jaws 36, which are situated at the lower end of the gas producer shaft or at the ring girder 4 of the gas producer shaft. When rotating the crusher ring, the clinkers entering the space between the crushing ring 34 and the ring-girder 4 are crushed the crushing jaws 36 and are broken up to such a size that the clinker can slide through the hole between the crusher ring and the ring der 4.

The lower end of he crusher ring 34 is equipped crusher.

The driving device is fully detailed in Fig. 3. At one point of thecasing I, a bevel wheel shaft 42 sealed against the casing I, by means of a stuffing box 4|, is provided. The said shaft 42 is in connection with an outer pawl-wheel 43.

The inner bevel wheel 44 acts upon the bevel wheel of a vertical intermediate shaft 45, the upper pinion 46 of which engages into the gearing 40 of the crusher ring. A flange 41 provided on the casing I and engaging underneath the ring plate 31 of the clinker crusher, prevents the ash from falling .upon the driving device of the ring crusher from above. Suitable closeable openingsmay be arranged in the casing l for cleaning and attending to the driving means,

as necessary.

In order to avoid ash penetrating into the bearing I8 of the shaft of the ash agitating member, a sealing very similar to a sand-cup closure, is arranged between the shaft of the ash agitating member and the stationary casing compartment l4. The said seal may be seen from Figure 4. At the lower side of the clinker agitating member Hi, there is provided an L- shaped packing ring 48 which engages into a ring-space formed by the end ring member 49 of the grate l5 and a cylindrical part 50 which is fastened to the upper opening of the casing I4, preferably by. the insertion of -a packing 5|. This portion of the casing I4 is also provided with a cutting 52 where connected to the ash" agitating member the cutting leading outside the casing l4 from the fluent material seal means formed by parts 48, 49, 50 and l4,- for bleed of ash from the fluent material seal means to the ash hopper 52a. a

If now the ash penetrates through the joint between the end member 49 of the grate and the ring 48 into the cup-like space between the member 49 and the cylindrical part 50, this ash is discharged through the cuttings 52 when rotating the clinker agitating member and the ring member is raised upwards to a certain extent. The ash falling through the grate l and the clinker deflected by the scraper 39 from the plate 31 of the ring-crusher, drops downwards into an annular ash trough 52a, being tapered to the bottom and suitably lined with refractory bricks 53. From the lowest annular point of the ash trough runs a multitude of ash extracting pipes 54, through which the ash is delivered to a suitable ash handling equipment, for instance to a flushing device.

Furthermore, a pipe 55 opens into the ash trough. Gaseous media may be led through the pipe 55 underneath the grate. Should it be desirous of producing a mixed gas within the gasproducer, a steam-air mixture is introduced through the pipe 55. In case the. gas producer serves for the production of water gas, hot blow air is led through the pipe 55 and the water gas formed is withdrawn, whereby the steam passes downwards as usual through the gas producer shaft. The upper opening of the pipe 55 is covered by a hood 56 to avoid the ash from penetrating into the pipe 55.

The horizontal grate of the gas producer is shown on the drawings in a stationary position. Instead of a stationary grate, it may under certain conditions also be preferable to connect the horizontal grate with the crusher ring 34 so that also the horizontal grate is rotated. In this case, the drive of the grate may be interrupted at a longer or shorter working period, since a relative movement takes place between the ash agitating member and the horizontal grate, even at a standstill of the ash agitating member, although it is more advisable to change the position of the ash agitating member within the gas producer gradually for avoiding a piling-up ofash above the clinker agitating member. On the other hand, it may also be of advantage to turn the ash agitating member i6 contrary to the crusher ring If alternatively the ash agitatand shown, since the invention may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A gas producer comprising an upstanding shell; a substantially horizontal grate for the bottom of the shell; a rotatable ash agitating beam arranged for rotation in a horizontal plane .over the surface of the horizontal grate; a polywalls arranged below the grate to form an outer annular ash discharge chamber for the grate and a separate inner gas tight compartment for housing the central drive shaft for the ash beam; said walls constituting an inner and outer framework for supporting the shell and grate, with the inner framework wall carrying at its upper part a raceway bearing mounted thereon on the interlor thereof for supporting the ash beam during rotation by the central drive shaft housed therein and the outer shell supporting the upstanding gas producer shell; and ribs interconnecting the inner and outer framework walls to brace the same, said ribs being arranged within the ash receiving chamber and being carried by the walls thereof and together carrying the horizontal grate and ash crusher ring with the outer annular raceway for the ash crushing ring interposed between the same and the ribs so as to be covered by and thereby protected from descending ash by outer ash crushing ring.

2. A gas producer as claimed in claim '1, and in which a seal-means for fluent material comprising spaced upstanding concentric walls and a bottom wall forming a sealing cup and a depending apron extending into the cup and mounted for rotation with a rotary portion of the ,grate structure is provided at the juncture of the horizontal grate, the central drive shaft for the ash agitating beam and the top of the inner PAUL VAN ACKEREN. 

